9. Midori TakadaThrough the Looking Glass
In a way it’s very similar to Pusha T and Kanye, in that I’m discovering the dad I didn’t know later. With Midori Takada, it’s the same feeling for the mom. I don’t know how it happened with this record, but to me it has the same efficiency as taking a pill – a pill of peace and healing. This record accompanied me in so many different moments and times of anxiety or fear or sadness. And it always puts you back at zero, where you need to be; in a neutral place, but in a good way. An all-percussion album is also really inspiring, percussion was in a way my first love when I was in music school. I have a special relationship with it. I think she did this record in one gesture, and she did it alone.
I don’t know, it has something that’s really enchanted and I’m very sensitive to that. At the same time it does very serious work for the person who’s listening to it, but it’s not taking itself seriously. I love the space on this record, and there’s a lot of non-human presence for sure. I had the honour to work with her later on, and we made a piece together called Le Renard Bleu and it was a very life changing encounter to be around a true master. When you’re at a level of true mastery, you’re someone who’s very light – her sense of humour and goofiness was very important for me to discover. You could be the best at what you do, but you can also laugh at everything. A very important record, a very important encounter. It will affect my music making forever, for sure.
